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Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (OSPE)

Joanie Newhart, SPE

The Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (OSPE) is responsible for finding the best business solutions to accomplish DOT’s mission. This is done through the development and execution of innovative business outcomes, results oriented oversight, and the implementation of unique policies and procedures.  As an internal business partner, the OSPE helps to ensure effective and efficient management of DOT's acquisition and financial assistance business processes. The three divisions under OSPE are Business Policies and Strategies, Acquisition Services, and Competitive Sourcing.

The Business Policies and Strategies Division is responsible for developing and implementing Departmental Financial Assistance regulatory guidance, executing Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) procedures, providing analysis and measuring acquisition performance, and improving the accountability and effectiveness of acquisition and financial assistance related programs.  Responsibilities include the oversight of the Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR) and the Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM), managing the Department's acquisition career program, collaborating with the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization to enhance DOT's small business procurements, and implementing financial assistance initiatives.

• Business Policy – The Business Policy division establishes and maintains DOT-wide policies, procedures, and regulations relating to cradle-to-grave contracting within DOT.  Likewise, we provide guidance, interpretation, and implementation of statutes, regulations, and policies and procedures.  Represent DOT on interagency groups to promulgate Government-wide policies and regulations, advancing the DOT interest.  Through leadership and collaboration we develop, assess, and facilitate improvement programs and activities with emphasis on streamlining operational requirements.
• Acquisition Oversight – Acquisition oversight manages the DOT performance measurement program.  Leads and coordinates the integration of business systems related benchmarking studies and re-engineering efforts.  Establish and maintain computer-based procurement data systems to ensure acquisition and financial assistance system integrity, data quality, accuracy, and timeliness of reporting.  Also, manage capital planning, e-Government initiatives, audit strategy, and the procurement performance management program.
• Financial Assistance Management – Financial Assistance Management provides oversight and guidance to improve the effectiveness and business management of Financial Assistance Programs for each DOT Operating Administrations (OAs), which includes the Office of the Secretary.  This Division is responsible for developing and promulgating regulations, policy, procedure, and guidance related to all financial assistance transactions (grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and other transactions).   In addition, Financial Assistance Management has oversight responsibilities for the DOT Suspension and Debarment program.  Also, in partnership with the CIO, this division provides financial assistance technical support to the e-grants component of the DOT e-gov initiative as managed by the CIO.

The Commercial Services Management Division supports DOT operating administrations in implementing competitive sourcing and business process reengineering.  This includes preparation and consolidation of the FAIR Act and inherently governmental inventories, transmittal of annual congressional report on savings and performance improvement, preparation and consolidation of organizational change plans, conducting independent validations of savings, and providing support for organizational change initiatives.

Last updated: 8/15/2008